Chapter 43: Preparations and the First TaskNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Alastor made his way up the stairs of the Three Broomsticks as Hazel inspected the bar space. She handed Rosemerta the agreed upon sum of money and the woman nodded silently in return before tending to the other patrons. After Alastor made his scans of the door before popping it open, Hazel closed it behind her and set up the strongest wards she could. She watched Croaker do a sweep of the room and nodded as everyone sat down, before she spoke up. "Well Boss. What do you have for us? The Casket arrived sealed at the Castle and remained sealed until Dumbledore opened it in the Great Hall. My ward didn't detect any magic being used by the student body or anyone between the opening and selection, except for a few poor attempts at breaking it by wannabe Curse Breakers. Which means it was sabotaged prior to arriving at the school." Croaker handed her a file. "The Unspeakable that inspected it this morning at your insistence agrees, though we have confirmation the Goblet wasn't sabotaged. Not exactly. We believe someone activated the clause in the Goblet that allowed for the addition of a new school. The crafters of the Tournament weren't under any illusions that more academically minded magical schools wouldn't be founded and the Goblet was designed to always accept new schools. Harry's name was added as the only participant of a nameless fourth school."
Hazel sighed and looked at Alastor. "You think Dumbledore did it?" Moody shrugged. "Albus wasn't all too happy about the investigation but as you are operating under the ICW security force for the Tournament, he can't stop you. His downplaying of the danger of extremism in Britain is earning him a lot of negative feelings among the ICW Assembly. I do know that he wasn't part of the break in attempt at my house this summer, at least." Amelia looked to Hazel. "Which leaves Voldemort and his agents as the likely force behind the attempted attack on Alastor. Anything from Karkaroff?" Hazel sat back, thinking about last night. "All the Headmaster's expected the fourth name, which wasn't a surprise. Maxime was informed and releasing the article early spared Harry some political and social backlash, but it did give Karkaroff a cover. If he wasn't responsible for submitting the name, he at least knew it could happen, though I have no clue if Voldemort tried to contact him at all afterwards to verify the results." Croaker tapped the table. "Based on our information, the only people who could have known about the fourth school clause were the Headmasters and the Organizers. This leaves it as a possible action by Dumbledore, Crouch Senior or Karkaroff. All had access to the Goblet before it was guarded by the DMLE and us upon arrival at the school." Hazel looked to Amelia. "Are you checking Senior?"
Amelia sighed heavily as she drank her cup of coffee. "He was still displeased about the death of his elf and while we confirmed he was subject to the Imperius Curse and several other mental magics, he has refused to concede that he helped save his son from Azkaban. We will inspect him again for signs of new curse residue. If it did indeed happen again, we can pull him out of the project as a clear liability." Hazel rubbed her hair. "It won't change anything. Dumbledore and Karkaroff modified the tournament. The clue Bagman provided was never given in my world. Voldemort doesn't need anything from Harry or the Tournament now except for him to survive and get pulled away, likely in the Third Task on the Summer Solstice. He won't miss the grandstanding of beating Harry in his moment of triumph in the Tournament. His ego won't let him." Croaker rubbed his chin. "Agreed. Which gives us almost a year to find his last trinket. We have narrowed it down to Gringotts but there are no regulations on housing cursed objects in their Vaults. Our teams are working on developing a smaller tracking device for you to carry into the bank. While the Lestranges are the likely keepers, we are concerned over another family being trusted. It's even possible Voldemort stored it in the Gaunt Vault, so we are covering all our bases before sending you in."
Hazel thought for a second before she nodded. "Just be sure it's done by the 21st of June. If our plans go off the rails, we can't let him get away. No matter what." Croaker nodded. "Agreed. For now, continue your security detail. Quetz, with help from ICW Observers, is inspecting the cargo you helped secure from the terrorists the other day. Their plans to damage the trade routes have been thwarted but we are concerned over the source of the enchanted weapons. For now, it's an ICW matter, though if they call for help, you will be notified." Hazel nodded before turning to Amelia. "What's happening in the Wizengamot?" Amelia shrugged. "Sirius got his family seat secured and has positioned himself as an outsider. A few of the traditionalist families have been making nice with him, as well as the Neutrals, with Lord Nott being the more active party, as planned. The Coalition is keeping both of them out of its orbit for now, so the Traditionalists don't go running scared, which has further disrupted the typical votes. Dumbledore, Malfoy and Fudge have no means of pushing their proposals through. Umbridge tried to pass one to dismantle the relationship between the ICW and Britain but that failed, especially without Fudge's support." Croaker turned to a pensive Hazel. "Still not authorized to target her in any way."
Alastor chuckled as Hazel pouted at her Boss, before he stood up. "Well, I got some students that need to complete a test soon. I will be on my way." Hazel stood up. "I will follow him out. Keep me informed and I will pass it onto my partner without breaking her cover." Hazel disabled the wards and the two made their way up the path to Hogwarts. Moody refused to take the carriage, stating he needed to keep his feet moving. Activating a privacy ward, Hazel turned to the Auror. "Still surprised you took my origins as well as you did." Moody chuckled. "Oh Lass. I had a bit of an inkling. You had elements of my teachings in your dueling and no one was as good with Transfigurations as James was. McGonagall is a fine teacher but James had raw talent. Something you inherited fully and took it far further than that man could ever dream of achieving." Hazel blushed a bit under his praise. Her world's Moody had taken being replaced by Barty badly and, with Bella's blessing, had grabbed her during the summer after the Third Task and trained her in how to be an Auror. He was also a vindictive bastard so he showed her how the Death Eaters did a few of their tortures. She never wanted to try them out but after her Godmother's death, she didn't hesitate to embrace her more vindictive side.
"Anything I should know about Dumbledore that he might have told you? Anything I need to be careful about?" Alastor did his best not to laugh. "He thinks you might be possessed by Voldemort and that you are trying to warp Harry and keep him from killing you, as prophesied." Hazel hummed, trying to not show much of a facial expression. Moody was supposed to be watching her after all, especially if Dumbledore thought she was Voldemort. "Good to know. Too bad my Dumbledore never thought about that." Alastor eyed her. "I did notice a few of Voldemort's tells on you. He taught you how to fight?" Hazel sighed, her thoughts distant. "In my first year. I was a shit caster and a trembling mess. Hard to say what bothered him more, his ego not happy with how pathetically easy he could have ended me or his curiosity in what I could become if given the proper instruction. He wasn't a bad teacher though. His impersonation of Quirrell was well regarded as one of the better Defence Teachers. The fact Barty disguised as you did well too shows just how well they both knew the Dark Arts." Moody grunted. "Happens all the time, Lass. Students of the Dark Arts know them better than anyone. Make great teachers and all in how to stop their fellows. Surprised you haven't thought about taking the job." Hazel shrugged. "I am good at the Dark Arts but I honestly don't care. I just want to protect my family."
Moody gave her a soft smile. "That, Lass, is why I trust you. You are a Dark Witch alright, but you don't enjoy it. Not like Voldemort did or his Death Eaters. The fact that Albus can't see that in you is quite the loss on our part." Hazel turned to Moody. "Think Dora will ever accept the same truth? She still fears becoming Bellatrix, though this assignment has certainly kept her thoughts occupied. Still, the moment everything goes down, she will probably be in the line of fire. I don't like having my partner in the range of Voldemort's magic when she could be doubting herself." Moody nodded. "I think she will pull through and you are the right person for it." He turned to her. "Keep being yourself, Peverell. Show Tonks that being Dark doesn't mean she has to like it. The more she can sympathize with you, the better she will come of it. By the end, she won't be afraid. I guarantee you that." Hazel turned to him and lowered her eyes. "Thank you." Alastor grunted. "Don't go thanking me. When I leave this place next year, I better be thanking you. You keep the kids safe and go teach your troop how to do better. I want to see them all graduate in four years at the top of their classes." Hazel nodded and made her way down the side of the Castle. She'd do a sweep before checking in with her students. After today, training was going to get a bit more intense.
-∞-
"I will let my father know, Mademoiselle. Best of luck beating Potter." Dora waved as she did her best for her face not to crack. She pulled Fleur further into the Castle's Dungeons before the young Veela turned towards her. "That… was unpleasant." Dora shuddered, though she remembered to cast a privacy ward. "Well, I had to do that for four days over twenty times each one. I felt absolutely filthy everytime we returned to base. By the time the mission ended, I was seriously considering casting some curses at the pompous bastards." Fleur shook her head. "That doesn't sound like the most pleasant of jobs." Dora shrugged her shoulders. "It can be hard. I have had it bad, taking injuries and dealing with the burden it places on you. But I have seen the good that comes from it. Harry has a family now, one he never would have had if we didn't intervene. Lots of people are alive, at home and free from the things we did. It's not easy getting into it but I think it's rewarding in its own right. But, you can always take the research route. Plenty of Enchanters trying to make breakthroughs. All of our equipment is enchanted in the Department."
Fleur hummed. "That does sound a bit more appealing. The Conclaves have their own enchanters too but it's more about passing down the traditions and skills. Not a lot of effort is ever made towards research. At least none that I have ever seen." Dora nodded as they reached the entrance to the Chamber. After checking to see if they were being observed, she pulled out the map of the castle. She tapped it and used the phrase that caused an echo that would make it look as if she, her real name hidden from the wards by some obscure Blood Magic, and Fleur just walked on by and used her wand to trace the route back to the carriage. "There. The wards will register us as leaving. Give me your hand and I will pull you through." After tugging Fleur through the wards, the two made their way down the stairs, the sound of spells being casted filling the air. Fleur watched as several students practiced on moving targets on a large wall at the side of the Chamber. "Chamber of Secrets indeed." Dora stared at the large open space. "It's bigger than it used to be." Susan looked over and came up to them as Dora dropped her shift. "So, what do you think? Hazel had us help out in expanding it a bit. Daphne, Tracey and Theo were a bit put out about changing a Founder's Chamber but the changes can be undone later."
Dora hugged the redhead. "It's good to see you and it looks great." The gloomy lighting had been lifted with comfortable white light, the walls now taking on a grayish coloration. All the snake statues were gone, though some of the water canals were still visible on the sides of the large open space. They passed by the other training students and Dora saw a smaller alcove on the side where the younger members were gathered. She was happy to see the Carrows were doing well with the group as they seemed to be working on assignments with Luna and Astoria. To the back, she could see a Dueling Barrier ward taking a bit of a beating as Hazel seemed to push Harry through the sort of exercises Horatio had them on for better hand eye coordination, dodging of curses and improving their magical output. The wards dropped as Hazel passed a conjured towel to Harry. "That's much better. Why don't you take a break and relax. Your next classes won't be too intense but best not to drain you too much. You can use the tunnel up to the second floor prefect bathroom for a shower before heading to class." Harry nodded and cleaned his face with the towel. "Got it. Thanks." Dora hugged her cousin and kissed his sweaty cheek before he went to rest, a certain redhead joining him with a bottle of water. Dora turned to Hazel. "You got the passageways to open?"
Hazel winced. "Uh, define open." Dora pinched the bridge of her nose. "You blasted through it with a siege engine spell from the inside, didn't you?" Hazel summoned a bottle of water and drank from it. "To be fair, I sealed said bathroom and blocked it from leaking any sound. No one heard a peep." Dora sighed. "I suppose it will come in handy. I guess you reapplied the wards to block the Castle's tracking wards?" Hazel nodded. "It's as shielded from the main castle wards as the Chamber. Our maps still show us being here, at least the updated ones." Dora nodded and turned to Fleur. "Fleur, this is my partner. Hazel Peverell. She practices the sledgehammer approach to fixing a problem." Hazel glared at Dora. "I preferred it when you called it the "torch first, ask questions later" approach." Dora shrugged and Hazel ignored Dora before looking at Fleur. The Veela felt her skin breakout into goosebumps as those green eyes seemed to take her in. "Are you going to be a problem when it concerns me and my partner's relationship?" Fleur wanted to be insulted but the raw power that seemed to press into her made her hesitate. "I respect her choice and won't be pushing her into anything improper." The pressure vanished instantly and Hazel's scowl turned into a smile. "Then that's the end of that. Ready to have a taste of a real fight?"
Dora stood back and winced as Hazel started sparring with Fleur, the blonde being knocked back against the barrier quickly after it snapped into place. Susan came over and whistled. "Did she piss Hazel off?" Dora sighed. "Once. Fleur used her Allure on me." Susan hummed. "You might want to make Hazel feel better tonight. Otherwise, I think Fleur might quit." Watching the Veela's attempt at blasting her girlfriend with her race's magical fire fail spectacularly as Hazel's own black flames blocked the attack made Dora nod in agreement. "I will do that. Any word from Cedric about joining you all?" Susan shook her head. "He wants to do the Tasks on his own merits. He is fine with Harry training as he needs it just to survive but Cedric refuses to train with us." Dora could hear the hurt in Susan's voice. She and Cedric were friendly acquaintances for years. Dora patted her back. "He will be ok. I promise." Susan nodded and started to walk away. "Oh, and Susan. No spying on Harry as he showers in the Prefect's bathroom." Susan's face went bright scarlet. The redhead refused to answer and just walked away, as Dora chuckled to herself. She summoned a bottle of water as soon as the dueling barrier dropped a few minutes later.
Fleur took it as she laid on the ground, breathing heavily. "You weren't kidding about driving a person into the ground. Mon dieu." Dora chuckled. "Well, you did try to use Veela fire on her." Fleur pouted. "Of course I did! I was literally getting tossed around the arena like a rag doll. Where did she learn how to use cursed fire anyways?" Hazel walked over to them, smiling. "From some very nasty books on Curse Breaking." Fleur shook her head as Hazel turned to Dora. "So, let's see how much rust you picked up in the last two months." Dora swallowed at the intensity in Hazel's eyes. "Do I have to?" The yelp that came from Fleur getting banished back and out of the arena, and the instant snap of the wards around her, made Dora nerves pick up. Watching Hazel take her Basilisk jacket off made her whine. The next thirty minutes did indeed show that she had slowed down a little bit, though Dora's spell chains were a bit more creative. She watched Hazel activate a Dueling Shield a few times in the fight, which was always progress. Still didn't stop her from getting dragged off her feet and hanged from the ceiling by her legs like a bat. Hazel smiled as she came up to her, Dora having trouble with looking at her girlfriend upside down. "First to five?" Dora sighed. "Sure."
-∞-
Teddy tapped his fountain pen on his lip as he looked over his assignment within the Chamber of Secrets. They had been coming here for three weeks now since the start of October, after Hazel altered the Chamber's shape and form to be more receptive to hosting several students. The alcoves she made along the sides included several centuries worth of books that the elves had been collecting in the Room of Lost Things, but were now being used by the kids of the Coalition to have their own private place to study. While he liked studying in the library or in the unused classrooms, it became harder to do so as more and more people started to look for his friends. Hestia and Flora were being constantly bothered by the elder Slytherins on behalf of their parents, including the Malfoys, about coming to live with them. None of those people seemed to care that the girls were happy with Julia acting as their guardian or about essentially being new sisters to Daphne and Astoria. Daphne had taken them under her protection and it seemed to cause more issues in the Slytherin Common Room, with Professor Snape having to intervene a few times. Hazel had made sure to ward the room shared by the Twins in Slytherin and, with Snape's warning, the two were left alone in their Dormitories. That still didn't leave them much peace elsewhere. The abandoned classrooms were being searched constantly and they couldn't really afford to ward what was essentially a public space. The Chamber of Secrets became their new sanctuary for studying and practicing magic.
It wasn't all that bad really, as his Mom would usually be around, as would some of the older students who were tutored by her. Harry had tried to get his Mom to allow others to join them in the Chamber, more specifically his friend Hermione, though his mom had been very hesitant about letting her in. She agreed to Hermione being allowed entrance, but only after she had a stern talking to the Gryffindor girl, along with the other fourth years. The brunette had jumped at the chance to read from what amounted to an unrestricted copy of the library, though all the really nasty books were sealed away by his mom, who was left in relative peace whenever they focused on studying. Well, mostly relative peace as the First Task loomed closer. Harry had gone out with Hazel earlier today following a clue Ronald Weasley had provided him. Teddy could tell his mom knew more and was furious, which meant this was Dumbledore's doing. His Mom only ever got that mad about Dumbledore or the Weasleys and this one was about both of them. Well, mostly about those two. She had been clearly annoyed when the Weighing of the Wands ceremony was carried out, mainly because of Dumbledore's expected presence and the unwanted presence of Rita Skeeter.
According to his mom and Harry, Rita had been pushing hard for a "private" interview, something Hazel rejected outright. Any attempts to goad her into letting Rita interview him only seemed to increase his mom's ire. When Rita made an offhand comment about how Lily Potter would react to Hazel essentially stealing her son away from her family, Hazel snapped. The Quick Notes Quill and parchment was incinerated and Hazel had pulled Rita out of the Chamber for the Weighing Ceremony. Having summoned Nova to her side, Hazel had promptly dropped Rita off somewhere in the empty fields of Ireland, where even Skeeter would have trouble apparating back to any point in Britain or Scotland. As far as Teddy was concerned, the woman got off easy. The ceremony continued without a hitch, with Teddy agreeing with Harry that Ollivander was weird. The old man had spent some time inspecting Harry wand before nodding. "It seems that your new wand suits you well, Mr. Potter. It has accepted you fully and you have been very careful with its care." Dora's own inspection had been a bit more of a concern for his Mom. There was no way he would get to inspect the Elder Wand or Dora's original.
Ollivander had clearly been slightly disappointed when d'Éon's wand, which had been made to look like how the altered Elder Wand appeared, turned out to be one of Quetz' replacement wands. According to his mom, Quetz had been a bit furious when he called the construction subpar and unsuitable for Dora, but Dora refused to switch out of it, saying that it didn't matter. It was the wand she was willing to use and the fact that it worked made it so that Ollivander couldn't deny her. Madame Maxime's support ended any complaint after that. After that day, his Mom had kept a closer eye on the Map, vanishing a few times to deal with an incessant pest. Teddy almost felt sorry for the woman. Almost. He had heard about the Skeeter of their world and the damage she did to his mom's image before and after the war. The only reason she didn't end up dead was because Grandma Andi forbid his Mom from ever doing it. He wasn't sure his Grandma had made the right call. His Mom never deserved the hate that the woman sent her way. He was pretty sure that his Mom's Boss told her to spare her too, but Mom had been doing a lot of reading on the old Witchcraft curses in between Harry's training sessions, which had made him smile a little. Giving his Mom a bad order was never a good idea. She would always work around it.
Finishing his History assignment, Teddy was about to ask Astoria if she wanted to work on the Herbology paper, which he knew she was stalling on, before he sensed his Mom enter the chamber, followed by Harry. Seeing them both return from the search was great, but neither looked happy, which meant that the information wasn't good news. "Not Dragons?" Harry sat down and slump his head on the table, with Susan sitting closer to him and rubbing his back. Hazel went to the nearest bookshelf and pulled out a very thick book. " Well, we have one Dragon out there. A Hungarian Horntail that Charlie Weasley had a hand in transporting here. That's not the issue." Teddy closed his eyes and sent his Mom some of his love and concern for her. He watched as her shoulders relaxed a little and she gave him a knowing look and soft smile, before coming to stand by his side, rubbing his hair softly. "Thank you." Teddy nodded and started putting away his papers, with Astoria giving him an odd look. It made him feel warm. He would have to ask his Mom what that meant. Later.
Dora and Fleur came to join them after they interrupted their dueling session, both drying the sweat off their faces with towels. "That bad?" Harry lifted his head up. "We don't know. The cages were quite different than we thought. Hazel heard Charlie talking about his Horntail and being worried about the rest of the creatures. They have dozens of sealed cages out there. We did notice that Hagrid's Hippogriffs were missing too." Hazel dropped Scamander's larger annotated version of his book on the table, but kept another one opened in her palm. "The cold was a sign of Dementors, so we have those two covered as confirmed threats." Dora blinked. "Wait, wait. They brought Dementors here for the Tournament?" Hazel nodded as Harry started flipping through the pages. "We think they brought other aggressive but tameable creatures. The types that are dangerous if you don't know how to handle them. The Dragon suggests they also have a lethal magical creature, probably as the final obstacle." Dora looked at the book Hazel was reading. "It's more than just getting past a Dragon?" Hazel nodded. "Our boss got a notice on several requests for dangerous creatures to be imported. A few were denied, including a strongly worded letter from Greece about never letting a Hydra out of their sights. From what we gather, three creatures were imported successfully, including the Dragon. So that leaves two unknowns and a locally sourced fourth."
The group shuddered at the mention of the most dangerous water creature on Earth. Teddy looked at Harry, a thought crossing his mind. "Didn't Bagman say something about dangers and elements? Could they be trying to get the most powerful elemental magical creatures for the Champions to fight and survive?" Dora paled. "Well… that's not remotely fair." Hazel hummed. "And with a mixed assortment of creatures, added to possible last minute selection of which one the person must face, there is no room to study one single way to best them all. We have to prepare for all four within the next week." Dora sat down beside Harry and rubbed his back. "Ok, we have a Dragon. What's the next three?" Hazel turned the page on her book. "Checking on those now. Based on the Hydra failure and a missing import, the water creature must be the one they sourced locally. Grab that book and start looking up Kelpies." Teddy pulled the book to him and flipped the pages quickly before passing it back to them on the right page. He blushed when they looked at him oddly. "What? They are cool and they are known shapeshifters." Hazel ruffled his hair as Harry and Dora read up on the water creature. Hazel cursed under her breath. "If the Horntail is the Fire Elemental danger, with the Kelpie being the potential Water Elemental, that leaves Earth and Wind. I doubt they brought a Thunderbird as those are endangered and MACUSA would have protested heavily about it. That leaves one other alternative for a Wind based creature."
Hazel duplicated the section in her book and passed the parchments to Dora. She stared at the paper. "Q is going to be pissed." Hazel nodded in agreement, as she leafed through the book further. Susan looked towards her. "What book is that anyway?" Hazel stopped for a second. ""How to Slay a Monster and Live" by Perseus Ross." Hermione, Daphne and Astoria looked up from their nearby table. "WHAT? That thing is real?" Hazel turned and glared at the brunette. "Of course it is. All the books I keep here are real. If you want to know more about killing magical creatures, go ask McGonagall. This was written by her birth family. The Ross family is notorious for being contracted by the ICW for dealing with the most dangerous creatures. Pretty sure they are still disappointed that McGonagall settled for being a teacher, despite her having a decent grasp of their family's knowledge." She turned back to the other table, seeing the looks they were giving her, while Hermione seemed to have a heart attack about the sort of person her Head of House was related to. Hazel looked to Dora who seemed to be piecing a few things together. "I told you I wasn't taking the Care NEWT for a reason. I know jack about raising a creature, but I know how to kill them. If I don't, this book does."
Dora rubbed her face. "I don't think we are supposed to kill them in the Tasks, Hazel." Her partner hummed. "Right. You can avoid a Dragon somewhat or a Kelpie. Want to try your hand at the one I handed you? I'll bet you 100 Galleons it's on you in less than 5 minutes." Dora closed her eyes. "Ok. You have a point. What's the Earth Elemental?" Hazel looked over the book. "Well, as I doubt we have the space to keep a Giant Mongolian Death Worm from destroying the Arena, the spectator stands and the Castle, not to mention all of Britain once it got bored." Everyone stared at her as she copied the pages of the book and placed them on the desk. "Then we are probably dealing with the Scourge of the Sahara." Dora looked down at the page. "The F-" Dora's curse was instantly silenced by Hazel, as the students looked over the papers. Harry rubbed his eyes. "Is it bad I want to face the Dragon?" Hazel shrugged. "As someone who has two Dragons kills under her belt, I won't deny it's not as bad as some of these. The Kelpie seems fun though." Dora looked up as she dispelled the silencing spell casted on her. "That is not a vote of confidence." Hazel leaned back and watched them study the creatures, thinking about her own First Task. She hoped it went better for Harry than it did her.
-∞-
OW November 22nd 1994
Hazel watched as the ice spell she used on the dragon failed before she heard the creature take in a massive breath. She quickly rushed to the side. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Hazel hid behind a large boulder as a spray of Dragon's fire filled the empty space she had just vacated. Being told she would be facing a Dragon had not been great. That was made worse when she only had a single bloody week to prepare. She leaned to the side and barely got a glimpse of black scales before her boulder was blasted with dragon's fire. Feeling the rock getting hotter and hotter, Hazel looked towards her sides. She was running out of room to escape. She hoped she eventually got the chance to meet the bastard who placed her name in the Goblet of Fire. Punching and knocking Rita Skeeter out within the Champion's Tent had been cathartic as hell after the shit the woman posted about her on the Daily Prophet. It even seemed to earn her the respect of the other champions. Well, two of them really. She and Fleur had never had any problem getting along well. Her less than appropriate language in front of the Headmaster's had left little doubt in the French Veela's mind as to her not being responsible for her name appearing. Too bad no else but her Godmother believed her. Bella had pushed her training a bit harder in the Chamber as they waited for the inevitable. Said training had kept her from being roasted the moment she stepped into the arena, but there was literally no way to counterattack the Dragon.
Feeling the Hebridean Black moving closer, Hazel tried to trick it with a transfigured sheep but the Dragon seemed unimpressed with her conjured animal. Needing to move behind another rocky outcropping, Hazel was forced to raise a shield to protect herself. The dragon's flames cut through it and she felt as her right arm was instantly engulfed in flames. Biting her lip enough to draw blood, Hazel successfully found another boulder to hide behind and rest, as she took her slightly singed wand into her left hand, Hazel looked back to the approaching dragon, her now useless right arm cradled in her lap. She could hear Bagman commenting on the severity of her injury and really wanted to smash his face in too. He had been delighted the moment her name came out of the Goblet. Hazel looked through her mind but found no spells to fight the creature head on with just how resistant their scales were to magic. Her curses were designed to tear into people, not magical creatures and even her cursed flames would be worthless against the strength of the dragon's magical fire. She took several deep breaths, feeling her mind slowly going blank. The pain from her burned arm was slowly eating away at her, though it felt odd that her dread was vanishing too.
The thuds of the dragon's footfalls made her deeply aware that her death was just a moment away from happening. After a deep exhale, Hazel looked up at the stands, watching so many people looking at her as a curiosity and entertainment. She hated them. She hated them all. This is what she amounted to, some piece of meat meant to entertain them at their whim, a celebrity only when it was convenient to them, a pariah when it sold newspapers and a liar that sought attention at every turn. She hated Wizarding Britain and she hated that Dumbledore and Voldemort kept twisting and manipulating her, treating her no better than a puppet on strings. She looked towards the dragon, her heart feeling cold and empty as a single thought took root. Perhaps it was time to let go. She wouldn't be the first Champion to die in this blasted Tournament. It wouldn't be all that bad, really. No more tournament, no more of Voldemort's mind filtering in to her own, no more Dumbledore trying to mold her into whatever he thought was best for her and no more despicable people who were too dumb to realize she just wanted to be left alone with… Hazel's mind froze. Bella. Her Godmother was out there in her animagus form, watching her. Waiting for her to come back alive. She bit back a sob as the dragon's lumbering steps drew closer and closer. She started to laugh as tears ran down her cheeks as she slammed her head back against the rock repeatedly.
She couldn't give up anymore, not now. Bella loved her. She cared about her. Every moment from the end of summer to now, they spent all of it together as much as was possible. Her Godmother's smiling face filled her mind and her left hand grew steady as it gripped her wand, her knuckles turning white. Hazel couldn't bear to make her Godmother cry. She risked everything every day to be with her. Bella deserved better from her. Feeling lighter than she remembered, Hazel crouched low to the ground and casted what spells she knew to reduce her weight and increase her speed. She looked at the Dragon one last time and was reminded of her fight with the Basilisk. She had no Sword of Gryffindor to help her here, but maybe a modified version of a spell she learned afterwards would be enough to beat it. She gripped her wand tightly and took a deep breath. It would have to be enough. She needed to win, no matter what it cost her. As the beast's head loomed over Hazel, the dragon's slitted red eyes focused right on her. She remembered the moment she first saw them as she exited into the Arena. The Hebridean Black was absolutely beautiful. It was also a lot more dangerous than anyone gave it credit for. She had tried a Druidic Spell that should have allowed her to understand the dragon yet the beast had responded to her pleas for peace with fire. Red eyes stared into green and for a second she saw something within them. Some echo of recognition. The moment passed as she watched as the dragon reared its head up again, ready to incinerate her once and for all.
Hazel exhaled deeply and did the only thing she could. She dashed straight for the dragon while casting the freezing charm underneath it. Her lower weight allowed her to move quickly, even as she felt part of her hair catch on fire, the scent filling her nose. Still, she slid further and further, her back being shredded by jagged rocks, until all she could see above her was a massive spread of deep gray scales. She raised her wand up, pressed it into the thinnest of gaps between the scales and prayed with all her soul that this worked. She channeled every ounce of magic into her wand. For the first time she remembered, it felt content. A phoenix cry filled her ears just before she spoke the incantation. " Monstrum Divellunt Maxima !" The spell had been one she had learned to help Dobby render down the Basilisk, though she was modifying it on the fly. She prayed that the modification worked. Hazel felt her breath leave her body as all of her magic seemed to vanish with the spell. For a second she was sure the Hebridean Black had decided to just lie down on top of her as the scales landed onto her body, her wand slammed onto her chest.
Feeling the body atop of her shift a little, Hazel was momentarily frozen in fear that her plan had failed, before her vision was suddenly flooded in red hot liquid. She coughed as her mouth and nose were filled with dragon's blood, the taste of iron overwhelming her tongue and she was certain she swallowed and inhaled it. Still, she was literally powerless to do anything else. So she waited for the torrent of blood to end. Once she felt as if all movement on top of her had ceased, she pulled away at the slime on top of her. It took her a second to realize she was covered in dragon guts, not all of which were pleasant to think about. Hazel stood up and stumbled as her hands gripped the edges of the dragon's spine. After much effort, Hazel managed to clear out her eyes before she could see her handy work. The entire torso of the dragon had been sliced wide open. Covered in blood and guts, Hazel spotted the golden egg left in a nest full of now orphaned dragon eggs. Her hands clenched as her heart ached, even as she moved on unsteady feet. She never wanted to kill the creature but she had no way of stopping it. It was her life or the dragon's. She knew that she should have been the one to die, not the dragon but she couldn't let Bella's sacrifices for her be in vain. She made her choice and would have to live with it.
Walking slowly across the arena, Hazel was thankful for the stunned silence of the audience. She didn't know what they expected of her. She was only fourteen and the Tournament was made for older students. She had no natural talents beyond her use of fire and conjuration, none of which worked on the beast. She was powerless to do anything else. If they expected anything else from her then she would dare any one of them to step into a dragon's den unprepared and do better. Hazel bit her lip again, unsure if the blood in her mouth was either hers or the dragons. Her vision was narrowing and her body felt numb as she crossed the distance and reached the nest. She picked up the golden egg, hugged it to her chest and stared up at the judges. "I claim the corpse of the dragon by Right of Conquest, as the Heiress to the House of Potter. Any attempts to deny me my rights to it will see my participation in this Tournament forfeited." Dumbledore stared back at her with contempt but Hazel smiled. He couldn't risk losing her now, so he had no choice but to let the corpse go to her. Hazel would take every small victory that she could. She maintained a steady but uneven walk as she exited the still silent Arena before she was pulled into someone's arms. "I got you, my sapling. I got you." Hazel closed her eyes, a smile on her face, as her godmother took her away to safety.
-∞-
NW November 22nd 1994
"Mom. That's the Kelpie. That means…" Hazel hugged her son from behind, kissing him on the head. "I know Teddy. I know." She watched as the shape shifting water horse magical creature was released in the larger as Dora made her way through the rest of the enclosures. The First Task of this world seemed to have been built as a Magical Creatures gauntlet as three enclosures held a variety of dangerous creatures before emptying out into the Arena. The first one was populated by hippogriffs, Bicorns, Snallygasters and Erumpents. None particularly lethal unless the person was a pompous moron but all decently territorial, making passage more about calm and knowledge about creatures than brute force. The second area was a lot less pleasant. Firecrabs, Ashwinders, Flaming Salamanders, Adolescent Wyverns and Firebirds. The Phoenix-like creatures shared none of the calm and gentle nature of their immortal counterparts, violently raining fire on anything that moved within their hunting grounds. The Salamanders kept the enclosure ablaze in never ending flames, but the danger of the Ashwinders hiding in the rocky terrain was something altogether unpleasant. The third area was one made by bastards that sought to make people suffer. The dark enclosure was filled with Dementors and it was closed off from light, with the audience seeing the champions through enlarged, floating, scrying mirrors. The Champion was forced to face the creature's effects and counter it before reaching the main arena.
Of the Champions, Viktor went first. He had some difficulty in the first section and it's less than appreciative and somewhat territorial creatures, but was better suited for the second, knowing a variety of anti-fire shields. The Dementors, however, took a lot out of him, as he never managed a strong enough Patronus shield. He brute forced his way through the enclosure and made it to the Arena to face the Hungarian Horntail. The Bulgarian learned the hard way that a barrier had been erected to keep the creatures in and objects out when he tried to summon what looked to be a Firebolt. The power the final creatures possessed was enough that no partly permeable barrier could hold them, not if they wanted to avoid injuring the audience. The only way in or out we're through the openings by which the creatures were released, where the Handlers waited in case they were needed, or the exit the Champions had to pass through in order to succeed in the Task. Viktor had been too magically exhausted by the Dementors to face the Hungarian Horntail on his own. He managed to permanently blind it in one eye, but it only served to infuriate the creature further. The Seeker was repeatedly pushed against the walls of the Arena before he activated the emergency portkey they all wore, mere seconds before the flames devoured him completely. Failing to escape the final arena meant his point tally would be lower than if he had succeeded. Karkaroff looked quite unhappy from Hazel's position in the crowd.
Cedric went second and passed the first enclosure easily enough. The second one was more difficult for him, as the Firebirds found him a particularly interesting target. He was almost out before an Ashwinder bit him on the leg, eliciting a groan from the Hogwarts students watching. The young man was forced to apply the freezing charm to his foot briefly to stop the spread of the fire inducing venom that doubled as a blood boiling curse. Sprout looked utterly terrified as she watched him do it several times, trying to avoid combustion and frostbite. He moved on with unsteady feet into the Dementor's Chamber and Hazel smiled as the Dementors were chased away by Cedric's horse. Unfortunately, the Hufflepuff took what was arguably the one creature that struggled with the rest for first place in the magical world in how utterly dangerous it was to humans. How Dumbledore and the Organizers thought the Scourge of the Sahara made for a great challenge was utterly beyond her. The jackal-like Salawa was feared all along the African desert as the demon of the sands. It literally conjured a sandstorm in its vicinity, blinding its prey utterly and completely. Hazel watched as Cedric used every type of elemental based magic he could but the young man was not powerful enough to counter the creature's naturally occurring sandstorm. The Salawa took its time, striking at Cedric's legs via hit and run attacks. The moment Cedric hit the ground, he activated the portkey, a second before the beast maws almost snapped his neck. The Handlers had an immense amount of trouble restraining the creature, eventually lulling it to sleep with ritually enhanced magic. The next creature was the one that made mother and son worried for the remaining champion.
In the tent, Dora hugged Harry as her persona's name was called out. "You got this. I know it's one of the hardest ones, but please make it through. I'll be waiting for you on the other side." Harry nodded. "Good luck." Dora sighed as she turned to the entrance of the enclosures and charged forward. She was happy she took a few pointers from Hazel about being respectful to creatures. She knew she could cross the area disillusioned, but she wanted to be careful how much magic she used. The Hippogriffs, Bicorns and Erumpents kept their cool around her but the Snallygasters weren't very pleased with her presence. A fireball to the face kept them away as she crossed over into the next area. Seeing the Ashwinders and Firebirds made her pause for a moment before aiming her wand. " Nix Tempestas. " The sudden snow storm caused all the creatures in the area to scurry away as she crossed the enclosure without incident. The moment she felt the unnatural cold of the Dementors, she was ready too. " Expecto Patronum." A shape launched into the air in front of her and banished the creatures before it turned around, leaving Dora speechless. Her Patronus had been a rabbit. She casted it several times at Hogwarts for the Dueling Club in the final weeks. Yet here she was staring at a dragon. Unlike Aithusa, it looked healthy and playful as it stared at her with its glowing slitted eyes. Shaking her head, she sent the dragon ahead, clearing the path.
She took a moment to rest the second she exited the Dementor enclosure, the emotions from Hazel and Teddy filling her up as she took a deep breath and turned the corner. Teddy was absolutely right. The Kelpie was utterly beautiful. It's blue fur looked as if it was perpetually shedding water, its darker blue mane swaying as if eternally caught in a river's current. It's silver eyes resting on black orbs stared at her, daring her to pass its territory. She noticed the entire arena was covered in water. Hazel had explained that like the Salawa, the Kelpie could conjure water if it was placed in a dry environment. It could then jump into the water and seemingly vanish, before appearing again, though it was limited by where the body of water it conjured connected to. Here it was limited to the size of the arena as it couldn't connect to the nearby lake. Not wanting to harm the magnificent creature, Dora decided to go with Plan B. She would take Hazel's displeasure later for it. After conjuring another snowstorm, she started freezing the water on the ground. Seeing what she was up to, the Kelpie rushed towards her, it's otherworldly neigh making her remember this was a dangerous creature that did enjoy eating humans. Dora used the slippery ground to move across the arena quickly, freezing more of the water before ending the storm. She disillusioned herself instantly and began transfiguring her robe. The Kelpie entered the area she was in quickly, looking for her by sound or scent and as soon as it looked the other way, Dora lunged.
The audience watched as Dora, now visible, landed on the creature's back and struggled to wrap a bridle onto its head. The water horse almost launched her off with a high back kick, but Dora gripped her hips tightly onto its back and leaned forward. The bridle slipped into place and Dora pulled back on the reins. The Kelpie stilled beneath her and she sighed in relief. The sudden roar of the audience made her wince but she could understand the uproar. Kelpies were a XXXX creature only for the fact they could be tamed, but only if the person was skilled enough to mount it and slap on a bridle before the creature drowned them. The Kelpie turned its silver eyes to her and Dora leaned forward and stroked its water soaked mane. "I will let you go, I just need to get past your territory. Mind taking me to the gate over there?" The Kelpie stared at her for a second before it nodded. It followed the direction she had pointed at and Dora was able to get off the back before pulling off the bridle. She rubbed its face and the Kelpie pressed into her with a surprising amount of affection before turning and laying down in the center of the Arena. Dora walked back a bit and sat down, sighing as she rubbed her hair. She could feel Teddy's pride filling her inside. Hazel… was a storm of emotions, some making her wince. Dora looked back into the Arena as the Handlers pulled the Kelpie away. "Please be safe, Harry."
Teddy nudged Hazel's side, trying to make her feel better. "Mom, Dora's ok. She's the first person to safely ride a wild Kelpie for almost a century." Hazel softly glared at Teddy. "That wasn't the plan." Teddy gave her a look and Hazel sighed. "Fine. She did great. Still going to be a bit hard on her later, for giving me a bloody heart attack." Teddy smiled and hugged her before they looked back to the Arena. Hazel watched as Harry entered the first enclosure safely enough. The lead Hippogriff was especially friendly with him and actually kept pace with him as he cleared the area, the rest of the creatures giving the temperamental creature and the boy a wide berth. She smiled as soon as she heard Harry cast " Aqua Vesica, " striking the fireballs out of the sky and pushing the Ashwinders back, his Aguamenti clearing a path in front of him, while a bit of Glacius prevented anything from catching him unawares from the side. Within the Dementor enclosure, his Patronus lit the entire room, surprising the students from the other school with a fourteen year old casting an advanced Defence spell. Hazel frowned though as the doe seemed to hesitate in maintaining its form, taking on a more jagged appearance, before it vanished. As soon as he reached the end, Hazel's nerves started up again. His Potter luck had to have been the reason for him fighting arguably the second hardest of the four creatures. That or Dumbledore wanted him to face a bloody snake. She would bet on both being true.
Harry swallowed as he stared at a massive snake that seemed to undulate in the air. He could see the clouds and lightning it generated clashing with the wards protecting the audience. Unfortunately, it meant that he was stuck in a confined space with a Quetzalcoatl. The creature's rainbow colored scales weren't scales at all. They were feathers. Four small wings covered in feathers lazily moved as they kept the creature in position. He had to swallow an impulse to speak with it. Hazel warned him about using it only when no one else could hear it. Even then, she told him he didn't have the training for Parselmagic, so it was practically pointless. He couldn't force the giant Mesoamerican snake to not attack him. He cast a few deflection spells on his person as well as a charm ward to prevent him from suffering damage from lightning. He eyed the exit and decided to go for Plan A. Rushing forward across the arena, Harry cast charm based wards on the ground. He felt as the air filled with a humming noise before he remembered to deafen his ears. He got them protected just in time before a lightning blast struck the area next to him, one of the wards redirecting it away from his body. Harry casted ward after ward, getting closer and closer to the exit until he spotted movement from his side. His Protego took the brunt of the swinging tail as his back impacted the wall.
The Quetzalcoatl continued to cast lightning bolts at him, but Harry could hear it growing frustrated. His wards kept deflecting the lightning away from him, but he couldn't protect himself from the powerful blows of the snake's tail. Having had enough of the wards, the snake's last strike with its tail pinned him against the wall, knocking the air out of him. He watched as the snake raised its head and opened its maw as it planned to kill him. He bit his lip, pressed his wand into a gap in the snake's feathers and focused all of his magic to it. Hazel had been teaching him the spell as a last resort. Something to do if he literally was about to die. He was certain he was. They had trained with it only on the weekends, since the spell left him exhausted. He felt his magic build as the snake lunged forward. " Monstrum Divellunt Maxima. " He felt his magic leave his wand but his ears were filled by the unnatural noise the snake made. He watched as large gashes appeared along its long body, the feathers becoming drenched with blood. The pressure from its body faded and Harry stumbled a little as he landed on the ground, his steps uneasy. He barely made it over the threshold of the Arena exit before he felt his legs give out. A pair of hands kept him from hitting the ground as Dora's voice settled his nerves. "It's ok, Harry. We got you. We got you."
Hazel turned to Teddy who hugged her, tears filling his eyes. "Can we go to him?" Hazel nodded and she pulled Teddy along. She watched as Dora, maintaining her form, dropped Harry into the Medical Tent before climbing onto a medical bed. Pomfrey rushed to the boy's side and cast diagnostics on him. "He has a severe case of Magical Exhaustion, as well as damage to his ribs but nothing life threatening." Hazel rubbed Harry's hair as he laid unconscious, and sat beside the boy as more people entered the tent. Her magic instinctively flared when Dumbledore entered. He looked at the boy with confusion before turning to her. "You taught him that spell." Hazel's eyes glowed green. "I taught him a spell of last resort, one he clearly needed. Or would you rather be burying a student than a snake that had no business being in this Tournament? There is a reason the Mesoamericans worshiped them as gods." Dumbledore glared back at her. "There were any number of other ways. The portkey would have taken him to safety." Hazel felt Teddy grip her hand to help calm her down. "Other ways? In an open field? Sure. He was in a sealed environment with a snake that prefers wide open spaces. Or did you not study exactly just how dangerous they were or what their preferences were? Had he activated the portkey while pinned down, you would have likely had a Quetzalcoatl rampaging outside of the arena. He had to choose between his life, everyone elses or the snake's. The snake's death is on you and the others who agreed to use it in the tournament. Now leave before I decide to rend you down and feed you to the Acromantulas."
Dumbledore glared but seeing the growing number of people around him, he decided to turn around and leave as Hazel's temper settled down. She and Teddy held Harry's hand as Andromeda, Ted, Sirius and Remus entered the tent. Pomfrey seemed to struggle between letting them stay or kicking most of them out. She heard Bagman's voice as the scores were announced. "In First place, with 50 of 50 points, Neaera d'Éon from Beauxbatons, with an impressive display of Cryomancy and for successfully riding a wild Kelpie, the first person to do so in nearly a century. In Second place is Harry Potter, with 40 of 50 points. He succeeded in completing the Task but our Judges were divided in awarding him points for the death of the Quetzalcoatl. Tied in Third place are Victor Krum of Durmstrang and Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts with 30 of 50, for failing to pass the final obstacle and for injuries received in the previous enclosures. This concludes the First Task!" Hazel shook her head before turning to Ted Tonks. "Go out there and keep the vultures away. Claim the corpse for Harry under the Right of Conquest. We will deal with the fallout from the Mesoamerican representatives and Handlers afterwards." Ted nodded but he stopped as he looked past Hazel. She turned around and smiled, her hand squeezing Harry's. "Hey, Harry." The clearly tired boy smiled at her wearily as he leaned his head down. "Can I sleep in tomorrow?" Hazel and everyone chuckled as she ruffled his hair. "Take all the time you need."
Notes:
So, how was it? Hazel was "lucky" enough not to face the Horntail in her world, but unless the dragon is rather tame, a dragon is a bloody dragon. The Kelpie isn't the odd but interesting design of the Fantastic Beast films. I tried to stick as close as possible to folklore's view of the deadly creature, with it's design partly inspired by a certain legendary dog pokemon. The Salawa is a proper Cryptid from the Sahara, though it's believed to be a real life fox, with me adding a mystical element to it. The creatures from "Tremors" didn't seem all that fair of an opponent. ;)
Next Chapter?: Christmas season and the Yule Ball.
.... so I am technically at the end of The Ever Changing Face of Death. I am literally on Chapter 70, all scenes written, with me just adding paragraphs to cover some missing threads. It's a good thing too, as my Muse is pushing me hard to start my next project. Still, I will continue to go over the remaining chapters to be posted as much as possible before I start HP fanfic #3. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. While I wanted to do a full rewrite of the Tasks, one of the things I considered was Dumbledore's involvement. What would Dumbledore want from the Tasks as a way to test Harry? Can you guess what were his reasons for the First Task modifications?
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.
Chapter 44: Gestures of LoveNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Hazel walked up to Harry, who was sitting on the railing of the Quidditch pitch, his feet swinging under him slowly. The air was crisp as the grass glimmered, covered in soft snow as the sun barely rose over the horizon. She swung her legs over and sat beside him. The two sat in silence until Harry turned towards her. "I… don't know what I am supposed to feel." Hazel turned towards him. "Shame? Guilt?" Harry thought for a second before he nodded. "I… knew I was about to die. I felt it. For a second, I thought I would be too slow. Then the snake died. I … feel like I should be happy that I survived but it bothers me. Killing the snake." Hazel scooted closer to Harry, her arm circling around his back and pulling him towards her as she gripped his shoulder gently. "Everyone feels that way. Well, most people should feel that way. You were given the choice between one life living and one life dying, with a pick of which one would succeed. You saved your own life, but you feel like it wasn't worth it." Harry nodded. Hazel hugged him closer. "There is no point in measuring the worth of a life, Harry. Death comes for all of us. Someday the Quetzalcoatl would have died. Someday you will die as well. The question isn't if your life was worth more or less, but what you will do with it now after surviving."
Harry looked at Hazel. "Does the guilt ever go away?" Hazel sighed and pulled out the charms attached to her belt. She handed them to Harry and he eyed them. "What are they?" Hazel looked to be in pain. "Remembering Charms carved out of wood. Like a memorial. For the lives of the people and creatures that meant something to me. I didn't kill all of them but they all died, mostly because of me. Two elves gave their lives saving my home. My Familiar, an Owl like Hedwig, took a Killing Curse for me. One is the Basilisk from your second year. My first Dragon kill. Teddy's Grandmother, his mother too, though she died for different reasons. My ex. An elf that died a few months ago." Hazel grew still for a second as she pulled one up specifically, a star carved onto wood followed by Druidic Script. "My Godmother. She pulled me aside, saving me from a Killing Curse before her body fell… There was no finding what was left of her." Harry saw a tear descend from Hazel's eye, running down her cheek before she wiped it away. "Every one of these people and creatures meant something to me. Yet, as much as I would like to say they were worth more than my life, I can't." Hazel turned to him. "Because living meant seeing Teddy grow up from a smelly bundle of diapers into a bright and smiling boy. It meant that I met Dora when I had all but given up on having anyone else in my life. It meant that I could be here, helping you regain your life."
Hazel gently took back her charms before pulling out a freshly carved one, a rough, rainbow colored feather attached to it. She handed it to Harry. "A life has left this world and it should be mourned. But you are alive. Live your life, Harry. Don't forget what happened, don't let yourself become numb to the shame of taking a life, but don't let the shame drown yours away. Honor the loss by living as a better person. For as long as Death let's you." Harry held the charm in his hand, rubbing the feather and the etchings. "What will happen to the body?" Hazel sighed. "There were some complaints by the Handlers but Quetz came over and smoothed things over. Her family is from the same community and she, as a friend of ours, has taken responsibility for the body, rending it and preserving the important parts. She will let us know what else we can do about it for her people later." Harry nodded, feeling the feather between his fingers. "Thank you, for everything." Hazel kissed his head. "You don't have to thank me, Harry. Ever. One day I will look on you as you hold a child of your own, same as Teddy. They will make you smile and warm your heart just by being a child, one you will have a large part to play in their life. You will know terror and anxiety, but you will know love and joy. In that moment you will know. It was all worth it. The pain, the loss. Even the shame. It will all be worth it." They sat in comfortable silence for some time, the cold wind forcing Hazel to cast a warming charm on them both, before Harry spoke up. "Susan asked me to the Yule Ball." Hazel hummed. "Interested?" Harry blushed. "I… would like to. She has been there for me these last two years and she always seems to know how I feel."
Taking a moment to think about her words, Hazel responded. "Has anyone else asked?" Harry nodded. "Ginny did but I don't feel right taking her. We are friendly and all but she is just Ron's sister to me." Hazel tapped her fingers on his shoulder. "What about Hermione?" Harry shook his head. "I don't think of her that way. I mean, she is pretty and she is great and all but she feels like the sister I never had. We look after each other." Hazel looked at him. "Then as your sort of sister, ask her what she would say about you going and ask her who she wants to go with. Look after each other and when you both go to the Yule Ball, make sure it's with someone you both want to be there with." Harry seemed sad for a second. "Sorry for bringing it up. I know you won't get a chance to dance with Dora at all." Hazel ruffled his hair. "Nope. I won't. I had my own major dance once but I got turned down so it was a bust. Though my second one wasn't as bad. But it's fine, Harry. I know what I feel for Dora and what she feels for me. It will have to be enough." She kissed him on the head. "Now go check on your friends and decide who you are taking to the Ball. We need to fix up your formal robes to match before the night." Harry hugged Hazel before jumping back off the railing and onto the stands. Hazel watched as he made his way to the Castle, happy that Teddy partially dodged that particular bullet. Sure, he had three girls circling him, but at least he didn't have to worry about who to take to the ball.
-∞-
OW December 1996
Hazel stared at her reflection in the mirror as she finished tying her hair into a braid. She had every intention to skip Slughorn's dance but when she got personally invited, she hesitated. During her fourth year, she had discovered that she wasn't interested in any of her classmates, except for one. Hermione had gotten a lot more pretty since they started classes together. She had stopped being as up front about her smarts and actually did the work silently. Even still, she never stopped offering to help Hazel. At first it was annoying as hell, but in their third year, they had come to an understanding. They would take certain days of the weeks to work on assignments together in the library and practice spell pronunciation. It had no effect on her spell casting at all but Hazel still enjoyed those quiet moments in the Library. Of the Gryffindors, Hermione was the first to come around and believe Hazel hadn't cheated to get her name into the Goblet. Hazel had no idea how anyone still didn't believe her as she cursed and swore with her every breath before the First Task started. She even attacked the Goblet with a Banishing Spell, but the Casket protected it. Dumbledore wisely took it out of the Castle soon after, as Hazel contemplated testing the Goblet's defences against her cursed flames.
So when McGonagall told her she was required to open the Yule Ball with the other Champions, Hazel hadn't rejected the suggestion outright. It took her a week to get past her nerves, with Bella's help, to go up to Hermione and ask her to the Ball. Hermione had stared at Hazel for over a minute until something finally clicked in her head. "Oh. Uhm, thank you for asking… Hazel. I… I already have a date. And while I am not really going with them as in date-date, I can't… I can't accept your request either. I am sorry Hazel. I am not interested in other girls. Not that you aren't pretty and all but I just don't see you like that. I am sure you will find someone though. Bye!" Hazel had stared into the retreating form of Hermione until she simply sighed. None of the other girls interested her. Susan and Sally gave her the cold shoulder since second year, none of the Ravenclaws were her type and Slytherins were off the table, though the blonde Daphne Greengrass was attractive. She knew McGonagall would complain and howler and try to force a date onto her to take to the Ball, so she did the wisest thing possible. She never brought it up. She read all about the supposed scandal her absence caused in the Prophet on the next day but she honestly couldn't care. Spending Christmas with her Godmother was worth the chaos she left behind.
Hazel bit back a sob that threatened to consume her as usually happened when she thought of Bella. Erring on the side of caution, she refused to put on any makeup, opting only for some lip gloss. She saw the time on the wall and sighed as she stood up. "Ok, Dobby. Apparate me back to the castle, just outside of the Slytherin Common Room." Her elf friend nodded and apparated her out of Grimmauld Place. She had been right that Dumbledore had been none the wiser about her nightly disappearances. While Grimmauld was a lot more comfortable than the Chamber, there were a lot more happy memories down there. Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears biological incompatibility notwithstanding. Wearing a black cloak clasped at the neck with the hood up, Dobby apparated her to a corridor that lead to a dead end near the Slytherin Common Room. She knocked on the hidden door and waited. Hazel watched as the wall opened and Theodore Nott looked out. "Heir Nott, please inform Heir Serpens his date is waiting for him outside." The pureblood Heir looked a bit surprised by the reversal of tradition but he nodded and stepped back inside. A few minutes later, the door opened and Tamlane Serpens stepped out wearing a tuxedo with a green tie, combing his hair. He turned to her and frowned. "You aren't going to wear that all night, are you?" Hazel sighed and pulled her cloak off from her body before vanishing it.
Tamlane seemed frozen by the sight of her. Or maybe it was her use of wandless magic. Ever since the First Task, her Magic had gone through a weird maturity. Her wand liked her now, though she found using her left hand with it was more comfortable, despite her right hand having healed correctly after the fire damage from the dragon. Even with her wand problems corrected, her wandless magic seemed to build up as well. She decided to just roll with it and ignore the issue. Her wanded spells were now stronger than her wandless spells and for once she was ok with that. "What? The cloak was conjured." Serpens shook his head as he snapped out of a daze before he gave her a smile. "I was going to say you look absolutely beautiful. Not the most traditional dress but more than acceptable in traditional circles." Hazel blushed. Her dress was something she struggled with. Eventually she went with a green and black dress with a high neckline that covered her chest and back, but highlighted her figure. While her arms could have been bare, she chose to wear long black gloves, exposing only her shoulders, as she didn't want to show the scars the dragon's flames left on her arm. Tamlane held out his hand to her. "Shall we?" Hazel placed her hand in his and the two walked towards Slughorn's Party. Her appearance caused quite a stir among the attendants but Tamlane kept much of the discussions brief. She took a moment to get a breather and serve herself a drink while Serpens talked politics with the other Heirs.
"You aren't good enough for him." Hazel sighed and drank the cup of punch before ignoring the pompous brat. Malfoy raised his hand and gripped her bare arm just above her glove. "I didn't dismiss you, halfblood. You don't deserve to be here or to be Serpens' date." Hazel's magic flared as she turned to him. "Release me, Malfoy." Draco sneered at her, reminding Hazel of Snape. "Or what?" Hazel's eye twitched for a second before she gripped the arm holding her. "You asked for it. Cr-" a loud voice stopped her mid curse. "Heir Malfoy. Unhand my date this instant." Hazel felt the magic in the room shift as Draco dropped her arm instantly. Tamlane took her hand and guided her out of the party. "I had that handled." Tamlane raised an eyebrow at her. "Cursing someone in the middle of a party with an Unforgivable? You call that handled?" Hazel shrugged. "It's not like anyone in there hasn't cast it at least once. Besides, Lucius Malfoy deserves to find his son twitching uncontrollably from a curse. Might make him more agreeable. Besides, if I ended up in Azkaban, who would bother coming for me? Dumbledore? He can barely do anything now with the war going on. Voldemort might make a visit but I would at least have enjoyed my final moments of freedom." Tamlane sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You aren't much of a Gryffindor Golden Girl." Hazel glared. "I never wanted to be. I would rather be myself than what anyone else asks of me."
Tamlane brought her out to the inner courtyard and he spun her around gently. "And if I asked you to be my girlfriend?" Hazel blinked at him. "Aren't you required to court someone as an Heir?" Serpens shrugged his shoulders. "If I had a father, yes. But I don't. You and I are the last of our houses, so we don't need to Court. We can just be." Hazel searched his eyes. Those blue eyes look at her with expectation and maybe something like longing. She took a slow breath before she leaned herself up a bit and captured his lips. Tamlane took a moment to register the kiss before he kissed her back, with clearly restrained need. They broke the kiss as Hazel stared at his eyes. "Fine. But this relationship is ours. No one else gets involved." Tamlane nodded and Hazel smirked. "And I get to shorten your name. It's a bit of a mouth full and I feel like I am constantly saying it wrong." Tamlane sighed. "Fine. What will you call me?" Hazel tapped her finger on her lips in thought. "Tom." Tamlane glared at her. "Not happening." Hazel chuckled and slipped out of his grasp. She spun around a few times. "I don't know. I think it suits you." Tamlane rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Then I will call you Haze." Hazel laughed. "Sure. I don't mind." Tamlane stared at her. "You were supposed to back track." Hazel smiled. "Nope. You are Tom and I am Haze." She came up to him and kissed him briefly. "Goodnight, Tom." Hazel turned around and walked away. She barely spent much time at the party but maybe it had been worth it. Maybe she could make something of this. If nothing else, she would try and enjoy it while she could. After all, nothing ever seemed to last for her.
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